The Dare
by planet p
Summary: AU; Broots makes a bad mistake, which might just ruin a valued friendship forever. But does he do it for nothing? / Chapter 2 is an Appendices, from Cherry's blog. / Non-graphic slash: William/Jacob
1. Chapter 1

Broots sat in front of his computer, unmoving.

It had been a decidedly ill mistake, he reflected, when he'd agreed to join the Dare Ring three days earlier, and, just as unforgivable a mistake was his joining Cherry's blog, _The Bad Cherry_.

Mostly, he'd done so in effort to support Sydney, who'd made it a personal mission of his to constantly remind Cherry of the 'wrongness' of her obsession with the Director of Med Space for the Center Corporation's Blue Cove branch, William Raines.

He'd done it for a friend! In the real world, that had to count for _something_.

Stemming from Cherry's 'grotesque' obsession with Raines was her 'disgusting and ridiculous' posting of Real Person Fiction in relation to an imaginary relationship she'd dreamed up between his deceased twin brother, Jacob, and her heartthrob, Raines.

In his crusade, Sydney had taken the cyber pseudonym of _Mr Anonymous_, and, to rally Sydney's cause, Broots had joined Cherry's blog, taking the online name _E. B. Tech_.

He reflected, it was no one's fault but his own for joining the Dare Ring. It was an unforgivable mistake, for his part.

The reality that he hadn't seen something like this coming was laughable, and simply inexcusable. And now he was beleaguered with it.

There was nothing to be done but to face that with which he was beset, he decided.

It had been Cherry's dare, and, faced with innumerable flames clogging the arteries of her blog's RPF Archive page, the way forward had been clear for her.

It wasn't worth it just to have _one_ question answered honestly! It couldn't be worth all of this, surely!

In Sydney's eyes, his misdeed would be unforgivable. He couldn't see their friendship ever being the same, again, after this.

Despair settled upon him heavily, weighing his hands down, preventing him from lifting them to his computer's keyboard. His mind, too, had turned sluggish, as if in retaliation of the betrayal of a friend, a friend who trusted him, even now, unwitting to the imminent betrayal that was to come.

But he needed that dare!

_I'm sorry, Syd_, he thought, slowly raising his hands to the keyboard.

Throughout the suburban house, the windows streamed with rain and the night's lightless secrets.

His dare was simple, but profoundly painful: Write a William/Jacob RPF; post it on The Bad Cherry under your penname, E. B. Tech.

He told himself that he was doing the right thing, that what he was doing was for the right reason, though the act, itself, may not have been right.

One day, Sydney would forgive him, he told himself. But he would never be able to forgive himself if he did not go through with the dare, if he did not do what he needed to do, as a father.

He started to type.

Whatever had possessed Cherry to the notion that William – who had had a beautiful, faithful wife in Edna – would partake in an illicit relationship with Jacob, eluded him.

Edna was the first point against her, and their daughter, Annie, and son, Sam, was the second. The fact that Jacob had been inclined toward men rather than women in a romantic and sexual manner was not a point for, in his mind.

He had nothing against homosexuality, he just didn't see that Cherry was doing the right thing by antagonising Sydney any further than the fact that his twin brother had liked _men_ had been antagonising him for the better part of his entire life.

And, slowly but surely, he'd allowed himself to be dragged into that cycle of antagonism: first, as a friend, and then, as the worst kind of enemy; the kind you thought you'd been wholly justified in setting your trust, in setting your affection and love, whom then proceeded to prove you thoroughly and devastatingly wrong.

For a moment, his fingers paused on the keyboard, as he pondered, if, when Sydney spread the word of his betrayal to Miss Parker, she would then dispense of a bullet, or two, into him for the effort.

Of course, he told himself, Sydney would not allow Miss Parker to do that. That wasn't the person that he was.

_Is setting explosives to kill someone the sort of person that he is?_ a voice at the back of his mind asked.

He dismissed the voice: They were two wholly separate circumstances.

His fingers flying over the keyboard, he paused for the second time, his mind stuttering as his mouth often did: Jacob, he could imagine as a caring, feeling person; he did not have the same imaginative abilities when the matter came to Raines.

With a mental sigh, he told himself that it would help to picture Edna, or Annie and Sam: His family, his 'loved ones.'

A frown marred his featured, but whatever it was that had so successfully startled expression to his face had long fled by the time he'd thought to seize, to grasp upon it.

He was faced with the same grim prospect before him as he had been moments ago; he let out a heavy sigh.

_Get on with it, then_, he thought.

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**The Dare** by planet p

**Disclaimer** I don't own _the Pretender_ or any of its characters.

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**Flames accepted. I live in my own world, sometimes. Thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

Appendix A

Real Person Fiction (RPF) Archive Page

**Real people, real lives -- real BORING! Make life FUN again! (Or, the RPF Archive.)**

Click the label to read

Find out what the Rating means

Search for a RPF by Category

Label: **Accidentally, I Find That I Love You**

Instigator: E. B. Tech

Précis: After the "accident", William visits a comatose Jacob in the care facility.

Personalities: William R., Jacob G.

POV: William R.

Body Parts: 1

Rating: Say, was that just the ice cream van I heard?

Word Count: 618

Status: Well done

Emotions: tragedy-stricken, heart-wounded, confused, resolute, bittersweet

Tags: William/Edna, William/Jacob, the Accident, patient, hospital, goodbye

Accio: 1

Review Count: 0

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Appendix B

Broots's story

**Accidentally, I Find That I Love You**

E. B. Tech

(Well done)

1.

START

This wasn't how it was supposed to end. If I had intended for this, I would have gotten my hands dirty, myself. This was a mistake. It was much too cruel. / Not that I was thinking of his brother, Sydney. I was thinking of Jacob.

But I shouldn't have been, and now the time had come to put a stop to those thoughts. It was over now – Jacob was DEAD. To all intents and purposes, anyway. I had to think of my family now, of my wife and children. / I could go back to them now, I could think of them now and not feel… 'What,' I asked myself. 'Guilty?' Had I felt guilty before?

No… maybe. Maybe.

I felt ashamed. I had felt guilty for having a family. I had felt angry at them for existing.

I wondered what that meant though in my heart, the meaning was perfectly clear to me, and it could only mean one thing.

I had been ashamed at myself for having a family because having them meant cheating on Jacob -- I had loved Jacob.

And now I felt ashamed, again.

I was ashamed for being relieved (I didn't have to hate my wife anymore, I didn't have to hate my kids, it was over), yet simultaneously I was ashamed for my actions over causing the "accident".

The accident which had put Jacob here, in this bed -- in this COMA -- in the first place.

I wanted to undo my actions, but it was a foolish notion, I assured myself. It would pass. I could no more undo my actions than I could change the outcome of Jacob's reaction to them, to his condition.

For the sake of my family, I had to stop feeling what I was feeling. I had to stop feeling guilty for what I had done. I had to put it -- and Jacob -- behind me, behind US!

I had to forget about Jacob. I had to stop caring, now.

That was the reason I'd found myself here, at this PLACE. It was time to say goodbye. I was ready to take the plunge, there was nothing else I could do. Not now. Not EVER.

It was cold in the room, I noticed, when I came into it, but I wasn't sure Jacob would even notice. He was in a COMA. I stood inside the doorway for many long moments… over extended moments.

With other people, it was always that Jacob looked like Sydney or Sydney looked like Jacob, or some whiny junk about how they couldn't tell them apart. I could tell perfectly. Even from HERE.

I didn't know how it was that I could, I just knew that I COULD.

I stood on that spot for a long time. I don't know how long precisely, I hadn't been timing. And then I moved forward and walked to the bed. And Jacob. I walked to Jacob.

I could have said 'I'm sorry'. That was what I wanted to say. I didn't. Sorry didn't mean anything, not NOW. It never would again -- not for me!

Instead, I said, 'Goodbye.' That was all I ever said. Nothing more.

I wasn't sure if he heard me -- if he could EVEN hear me -- but I turned then and walked back to the door. If my steps were slower than normal, he wouldn't know.

I felt cold then but it wasn't because of the temperature of the room. I'd just given up something that was far more important to me than I could EVER have realized, then.

I had given up the one person I could say I had ever really LOVED.

END

Recommend therapy (Or, Write a review.)

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Appendix C

Ratings Guide

**Cherry's Guide to RPF Ratings on The Bad Cherry**

'S all good (All ages)

Say, was that just the ice cream van I heard? (12+)

Quick, take a peek through your fingers! (15+)

Whose turn is it to microwave the popcorn, again? Aw, right, that'd be yours, love (17+)

Hang on, are those handcuffs? (21+)

See also, **Cherry's In Depth Guide to RPF Ratings on The Bad Cherry**.

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Appendix D

Status Guide

Well done (Complete)

Medium rare (In Progress – Second chapter, or halfway)

Rare (In Progress – First chapter)

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**Addendum Disclaimer** I don't own _accio_; Joanne (J. K.) Rowling or Warner Bros. likely does.

**Thanks for reading. What next?**

**(Flames accepted.)**


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